I’m hosting an interview with Piers Platt – author of RATH’S DECEPTION!
I’m not reviewing your novel for this tour. Why would I want to? From your other published novels, are there some that I should absolutely read?
Rath’s Deception is a thrill-ride, with lots of action, and some awesome twists along the way. It’s very accessible sci-fi – I’m not a fan of tons of technology descriptions and exposition about physics and space travel. I like digging into characters and seeing them grow and overcome substantial odds. I would definitely check out my Iraq War memoir, “Combat and Other Shenanigans” – it’s a humorous take on the military genre. And I’m giving it away for free right now for anyone that signs up for my mailing list at www.piersplatt.com/newsletter !
I both love and hate novels that don’t leave a discrete ending for the reader. Have you ever felt the need to write sequels for specific novels?Â
Yeah, I already wrote book 2 and 3 in the Janus Group series! They’re coming out over the next two months. And I feel you: I hate it when books end mid-stream. I wrap things up neatly in this series, there are no loose ends.
There’s always another novel in the pipeline to write… Tell me about it! Does it have even a working title?
“Rath’s Gambit” is book 2 in the series, followed by “Rath’s Reckoning,” Book 3. Working on that trilogy has kept me busy enough, so that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far!
Some advice other writers have given is that your first novel is best sitting in a drawer for a while, because then you feel stronger about chopping up ‘your baby’. Do you still have a copy of your first novel? Whether this was published or unpublished, I need to know!
I agree…I’m not sure it ever gets easier to “chop up your baby,” but some time/distance definitely helps you see the flaws more easily. The first version of “Rath’s Deception” was a bit longer, and I made some choices that were ill-considered, in retrospect. I still have digital versions of it on my hard drive, but luckily I paired up with an excellent editor who showed me that the book was stronger with some elements left to the imagination.
Do you have a dedicated writing space? Do you have colourful post-it notes on the walls? How does it meet your writing needs?
Yup, a seat on the commuter rail! I still have a day job, but I put my commute to good use…I wish it was a little more private, but headphones work wonders. I haven’t tried the post-it thing…but somehow I think that would be frowned on 🙂
What is your writing process? Have you ever thought about changing it? Other authors I have interviewed talk about having an outline – post-it notes in an office, or writing in paper journals. Is there something like that in your writing technique? Or is it all digital for you?
I outline pretty thoroughly, but it’s all digital. I like to know what the characters arcs are going to be, and how everything is going to end, at a minimum. I’ll hop between Word and Excel to get things plotted out…whichever is working for me at the time.
Do you have a preference for ebook or paperback format? This is for both your own reading and your novels.
If I’m traveling, it would have to be an ebook – just so much more portable and versatile. But I still like reading paperbacks, and there’s nothing like getting that first proof copy of your work in the mail.
Social media is becoming a big thing. How does managing media outlets come into marketing your brand and your books?
I find email a much better way of interacting with my readers – I do have FB and Twitter accounts, but I don’t use them all that much, honestly. Emails feel more personal to me, and a better way of connecting with people.
You have answered other sets of interview questions, is there something you wish someone would have asked you? Or conversely, something you wish they hadn’t asked?
I get a lot of questions about writing process…which is cool, I think it’s helpful to know how other authors work, definitely. But I like questions about hobbies outside of writing. I’m an avid scuba diver, and I could talk for hours about my favorite dives. My last dive: fixing the drain plate on my father-in-law’s pool. In late October. In New York. 0/10, would not dive again. 😉
Title: Rath’s Deception
Author: Piers Platt
Publisher: Piers Platt
Pages: 350
Genre: Sci Fi/Thriller
On the cut-throat streets of Tarkis, orphaned teens like Rath end up jailed … or dead. So when the shadowy Janus Group offers Rath a chance to earn riches beyond his wildest dreams, he seizes it. But the Janus Group is as ruthless as the elite assassins it controls. Rath will have to survive their grueling, off-world training, and fulfill all fifty kills in his contract before a single cent comes his way. And ending so many lives comes with a price Rath can’t anticipate. It’ll certainly cost him what’s left of his innocence. It may well cost him his life.
For More Information
- Rath’s Deception is available at Amazon.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
 About the Author
Piers Platt is the New York Times bestselling author of “Combat and Other Shenanigans,” a memoir of his year-long deployment to Iraq as a tank and scout platoon leader. Piers grew up in Boston, but spent most of his childhood in various boarding schools, including getting trained as a classical singer at a choir school for boys. He joined the Army in 2002, and spent four years on active duty.
When he’s not writing or spending time with his lovely wife and daughter, Piers works as a strategy consultant in New York city.
His latest book is the sci fi/thriller, Rath’s Deception.
For More Information
I really don’t remember requesting this novel, and I can’t find evidence for it in my inbox. But I picked it up with a positive will, thinking it would be perfect pool-side reading.
The novel breaks open with a bang, and continues along at a relatively fast pace. This is interspersed with confused love scenes and meaty blood letting. And of course, depictions of friendships that can rise and break in a moment. Don’t think it’s just love and games in their boat, there’s more than that going on.
I’ve never really thought about prison settings, not since my review of 
I’m not quite sure what I expected out of this book. I guess I was hoping for some general money rules that could apply globally. There are some here, but don’t be mistaken – this is a very American based set of suggestions.
This novel opens with a storm, and only gets better from there. I was convinced I was in the same time as the characters, roaming the streets of Venice. There were vivid pictures painted for me of the characters’ costumes and the places where they interacted the most. The pathways between places were a bit hazy for me, but at those points I was too engrossed in the characters to notice.
